Farscape Canceled (1 Viewer)

[Ric Easton]

Those little alien buggers in Field of Dreams were scary!

Ric

 

[Craig P]

WRT one of the ratings comments earlier in the thread, AFAIK the ratings have been relatively steady this season.

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

While I had been disappointed for the past couple of seasons, I always looked forward to new Farscape episodes. There's not enough new Sci-Fi on TV as it is, without this winnowing down the field. It's a shame. I thought it was the best that channel had on television.

 

[Daniel Kikin]

The Save Farscape site is also a good place to go to get info and updates about saving the show.
Here's an interesting quote regarding the Season 4 DVDs from the Friday chat:

(DK) I will tell you something interesting--
(FrooniumRicky) Buy the dvds.
(DK) The last half of season 4
(Barbarella) I think most in here have the DVD's
(DK) has tons of material that we have
(Ben Browder) RICKY!
(DK) shot that won't make it on the air.
(FrooniumRicky) BEN!
(DK) Way to many scenes.
(DK) Gonna be a DVD fest, folks.
(Ben Browder) I'd like to say something

Of course, I'd still rather have the show finish out its story by having a fifth season.

 

[Daniel Kikin]

SciFi has finally posted their lame explanation:
Farscape To End

Farscape To End
The SCI FI Channel confirmed that it will not pick up its original series Farscape for a fifth season. "There are no bigger fans of Farscape than we here at SCI FI Channel," the network said in a statement. "It was one of SCI FI's first original series and quickly became a critical and fan favorite. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to reach a broader audience, Farscape has been unable to grow beyond its core fan base. That, coupled with the extreme and growing cost of production, has led to the difficult decision to end the series at the conclusion of season four."
The remaining new episodes of Farscape's fourth season will return in January 2003. ADV Films will release "Into the Lion's Den (Part 1)" on DVD and VHS as part of the upcoming Farscape: Season 3 home video release, scheduled for 2003. Previous seasons of Farscape episodes are currently available on DVD and VHS from ADV Films; the newest release, Farscape: Season 2 Volume 2.2, was released last month.
Farscape was created by Rockne S. O'Bannon and produced by The Jim Henson Company, in association with Hallmark Entertainment. The series featured Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Gigi Edgley, Wayne Pygram and Raelee Hill. David Kemper, Juliet Blake, Robert Halmi Jr., Brian Henson and Richard Manning executive produced the show. O'Bannon served as executive consultant.

I guess they aren't the big fans they say are.

 

[Ric Easton]

Oh, that's a very reasonable explanation. I feel much better now. Sci-Fi did the right thing. Bean Counters Rule!

I'm sure they will have no trouble replacing it with a much cheaper show and everything will be fine and dandy. Unless that new show becomes a critically acclaimed and award winning hit.

Ric

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Here are the ratings.
http://www.farscapeworld.com/other/other/usrating.shtml
Not much different from the last 2/3 of season 3...when they decided to 'renew' for 2 more years!
FYI, it appears that HALF of the show's budget comes from Sci-Fi, and they have the USA rights to the first 88 shows FOREVER. I can't see another network picking this up unless they could get those 88 shows from Sci-Fi.
However, even if Sci-Fi is too shortsighted to make a wrap-up movie, you'd think EM.TV would make one just to add value to the international syndication package (plus sell DVDs in the USA).

 

[Jason Seaver]

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to reach a broader audience, Farscape has been unable to grow beyond its core fan base.

... I don't trust Sci-Fi head Bonnie Hammer the slightest bit. "Best efforts to reach a broader audience", to me, might have involved running it on USA every once in a while, not having it disappear for months at a time, and maybe trying (in co-operation with Henson) to get it a broadcast deal, whether like "Monk" (network) or "Stargate SG-1" (syndicated).

(Or, heck, like "The Invisible Man", which is an even more bizarre cancellation - apparently the result of a disagreement over one year vs. two)

The worst part is the inevitable cliffhanger finale. Normally, I'd blame the producers for that one - "never write beyond your current order" should be tattooed backward on TV producers' foreheads so that they're reminded every time they look in the mirror - but they had an order for a fifth season that was pulled at the last minute.

I want there to be a villain here, but unless the people at Sci-Fi are lying through their teeth, there isn't. That is possible, but not likely - if they're making money on "Farscape", there's no conceivable reason to cancel it; returning shows are a safer investment than new ones, so it behooves cable networks to keep any shows that aren't losing money.

 

[Lee Jamilkowski]

Unfortunately for Sci Fi, the Farscape fans now see Sci Fi as a/the villian, whether it was intentional or not. It doesn't matter what the money issues are... the fans don't care about such things... we just want the show. And Sci Fi is the obvious target and have admitted to being the ones behind this chaos.

 

[Ric Easton]

So, what, they should lose money on it? Or would you rather the production values go down?

What I would prefer is that Sci-Fi stuck to their original agreement or gave the producers a heads up well before they finished production of ythe fourth season.

What I would prefer is that Sci-Fi show a little respect to the show that put it on the map.

Showing a little respect for the fan base wouldn't be bad either. As far as I'm concerned, there is a villain here.

BITE THE BULLET, SCI-FI!

Ric

 

[Daniel Kikin]

Exactly what Ric said. SciFi signed up for two years and they should honor their agreement. The way they cancelled the show was very disrespectful to anyone associated with Farscape from the cast and crew to the fans.

I was upset when The Chronicle got cancelled after the cliffhanger but that show had no contract after that episode. Farscape has one year left on its contract and the whole fifth season has already been planned out. SciFi has to bite the bullet for Season Five. Farscape deserves it.

 

[Jason Seaver]

SciFi has to bite the bullet for Season Five. Farscape deserves it.

Awfully free with other people's money.
Of course, it's sort of telling that Henson isn't trying to find "Farscape" a new home, either. One would think they'd at least talk with WB, Showtime, TNN, or the like before giving up.

 

[Daniel Kikin]

Their money, our time. Different investments but still investments nonetheless
I know they had the opt-out but the way they used it is what is bothering everyone.
Also, the Farscape TPTB's told fans to try to contact UPN, TNT and Showtime, especially UPN which is said to be actively looking for a new scifi show to pair with Enterprise.

 

[derek]

I'm shocked, upset and saddened. Surely I felt 'Farscape' would be the LAST show sci-fi ever cancelled. *shrugs* I assume they saw the budget numbers and said 'ok which show costs the most to produce' and Farscape gets the axe. Such a shame. Really one of the highest quality original scifi shows to come out in awhile.

 

[Craig P]

I'm not sure exactly what Sci-Fi was expecting. It doesn't seem all that realistic to me to expect much change in the audience at this stage... if the ratings are steady (which they were), and costs are known (which I would presume they were), what were the expectations when they signed the two-year deal in the first place?

Then, too, cancelling the show isn't free. It costs in goodwill, and it costs in interest in future series on Sci-Fi, as fans develop an expectation that any show they (the fans) invest in won't last.

Oh, and considering TNT's behavior with Crusade, I wouldn't consider them likely to be a good home for Farscape.

 

[TheLongshot]

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to reach a broader audience, Farscape has been unable to grow beyond its core fan base.

Don't make me laugh. Moving the show to 10PM doesn't encourage people to watch it. The haphazard scheduling doesn't encourage people to watch it. Not to mention that Friday is traditionally not a good night for TV. (There is a reason X-Files was moved from Friday to Sunday) Hell, it always seemed like they were trying to kill it.

The "broader audience" they seem to be trying to reach is the SG-1 fans. Problem is, it is kinda hard to introduce new fans in the 4th season. Also, what is the deal of having SG-1 at 9? Wouldn't it have been better to put SG-1 at 8, Farscape at 9, and The Dead Zone at 10? I mean, how many people tune in at 8 for The Dead Zone?

I also agree that some showings on USA might have been helpful. I mean, GvsE came from there originally...

I'm sorry, but I don't see much of an effort by Sci-Fi to make Farscape more of a success. This, combined by the decision to not pick up "Legend Of The Rangers", really leaves me with no interest to see what else Sci-Fi has to offer. Why should I try when they can't seem to run a series for longer than 4 seasons. (I think Farscape is the only one that's lasted that long.)

Jason

 

[Todd Terwilliger]

The money is issue is an issue however every channel has a marquee program, be it sports, a particular series, etc., and, often times, the channel loses money in return for inhancing its prestige through that marquee.

For Sci-Fi, Farscape was their marquee show. What else do they have? They've got Stargate for maybe a season or two more and the Deadzone which isn't even exclusive to their channel.

With the exception of the original Star Trek series and Farscape, there was nothing there for me to see. Frankly, 99% of the b-movies that dominate their schedule like winners such as Anaconda 3 don't interest me in the slightest.

Without Farscape, there's a large void in their lineup. Sci-Fi Friday becomes 2 shows, one of which you can watch Thursday on another network. This is a large downward move for Sci-Fi and I have to wonder that, if the economic forces were so strong for them to cancel this show, what type of directon is the channel headed in?

 

[Todd Hostettler]

Well, when the inevitable happens, I hope you're all ready to join me on my "Boycott Taken on Sci Fi" crusade.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

I just called the complaint line
every single extension I could reach, the mailbox was full

 

[Michael St. Clair]

In my opinion, it is in SciFi's best financial interest to work with EM.TV to come up with a wrapup for this show.
Frankly, if Farscape doesn't get a proper wrapup (and I'm not talking about a novel), I'm done with the Sci-Fi channel. Not out of spite, but because I can't trust them. I'm not going to get involved with an episodic sci-fi series based on large story arcs if I think I'm going to get the rug pulled out from underneath me.
When I watch a Trek series, I know there will be a clean ending. Even crap like 'Fifth Wave', and the somewhat less crappy 'Invisible Man' get a wrapup!
If Farscape doesn't get a wrapup, I'll never watch an unlimited series on their channel again, and I will lobby against them ad infinitum.
If Sci-Fi wants to keep the fans of Farscape around, the fans that made their channel what it is today, they will treat this matter with respect and make an effort.
Oh, here is some more ratings fodder. Looks awful, eh?